Synthesis

The year 1972 stands as a watershed in modern
environmentalism. The first international conference on the environment
- the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment - was convened
in Stockholm in that year, bringing together 113 nations and other stakeholders
to discuss issues of common concern. In the 30 years since then, the world
has made great strides in placing the environment on the agenda at various
levels - from international to local. Phrases such as 'think global and
act local' have galvanized action at many different levels. The result
has been a proliferation of environmental policies, new legislative regimes
and institutions, perhaps an unspoken acknowledgement that the environment
is too complex for humanity to address adequately in every sense.

Decisions made since Stockholm now influence governance, business and
economic activity at different levels, define international environmental
law and its application in different countries, determine international
and bilateral relations among different countries and regions, and influence
individual and society lifestyle choices.

But there are problems: some things have not progressed, for example,
the environment is still at the periphery of socio-economic development.
Poverty and excessive consumption - the twin evils of humankind that were
highlighted in the previous two GEO reports - continue to put enormous
pressure on the environment. The unfortunate result is that sustainable
development remains largely theoretical for the majority of the world's
population of more than 6 000 million people. The level of awareness and
action has not been commensurate with the state of the global environment
today; it continues to deteriorate.

GEO-3 provides an overview of the main environmental developments
over the past three decades, and how social, economic and other factors
have contributed to the changes that have occurred.